Rebounds
A rebound is credited when a player recovers the ball after a miss. Off your own team's miss it is an offensive rebound, off the opponent's it is a defensive one. Total rebounds is the sum of both.
The pack lands around 2.7. This season's leaders are out on their own:
- 1 Jaylen Hoard Maccabi Tel Aviv 7.1
- 2 Nikola Milutinov Olympiacos 7.0
- 3 Walter Tavares Real Madrid 6.6
What Rebounds measures
Missed shots are the most common event in a game. Who grabs the ball decides whether a team gets a second chance or gives one away. That contest is a real skill, so it is worth counting on its own.
How Rebounds is calculated
REB = OREB + DREB
Total rebounds is offensive plus defensive rebounds, nothing more.
REB: Rebounds / OREB: Offensive Rebounds / DREB: Defensive Rebounds
The catch
Total rebounds flatten two different skills
Offensive and defensive rebounding need different timing and positioning. A player can be strong on one end and weak on the other, and the total hides both facts. The split says more than the sum.
Rebounding rewards proximity, not effort
The player who boxes out and frees the ball for a teammate gets nothing in the column. The one it drops to gets full credit. Team rebounding is often worth more than any single total suggests.
Seen in a game
In 2025–26 Jaylen Hoard led the EuroLeague on the glass at 7.1 a game for Maccabi. Just behind him, Nikola Milutinov grabbed 7.0 for Olympiacos and topped the whole league in offensive rebounds at 3.1. Those offensive boards are the ones that turn one possession into two. Total rebounds count both ends, but the split is where the skill hides.
Common questions
- What does REB mean in basketball?
REB stands for rebounds, meaning gaining possession of the ball after a missed shot. Rebounds are split into offensive (your team's miss) and defensive (the opponent's miss).
- How are rebounds counted?
A player is credited with a rebound when he secures a live ball after a missed field goal or free throw. The total is offensive plus defensive rebounds.
- What is the difference between rebounds per game and rebound percentage?
Rebounds per game is a raw count that rewards minutes and pace. Rebound percentage adjusts for how many rebounds were available, so it compares rebounders more fairly.
